


Powers That Be

by LeeMorrigan



Category: Dominion (TV)
Genre: Alex and Noma are an OTP, F/M, Gabriel is redeemed, Gen, Gives Claire a new mission, Introduce a new class of angels, Michael and Gabriel are the BroTP, Michael and Gabriel meet an old friend, Michael gets some love, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2020-07-24 23:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20022601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMorrigan/pseuds/LeeMorrigan
Summary: Michael and Gabriel flew from Mallory to save Alex, only to arrive in time to see Ethan, a few remaining Angel corps members, and a mysterious woman with an armored truck have already scooped Alex up from the rubble of Vega. Noma is in the wind. Lucifer is rising. Claire has a part to play. Arika and David survive Vega's fall, never to be seen again.But what does it mean when Michael and Gabriel meet an old friend, thought long dead? A friend whom Gabriel owes his life to and Michael has a special history with. And what does she have to do with other cities akin to Vega, where humanity survives under the protection of 7 higher angels who were a step above Noma's level yet not quite as highly ranked as Michael and Gabriel? And how will Alex take down Lucifer, with only two battered archangels, a small team of Angel Corps soldiers, a mystery woman, and his markings, when Lucifer has the faith of Mallory, the Prophet, and Noma? Come along and find out.





	1. Vega Falls

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warnings:  
> Descriptions of the wreckage of Vega and of injuries/fights, though not graphically detailed. Also discusses Lucifer's fall/coming back/influence in the world of DOMINION (but if you watched the show, I assume this type of thing does not bother you).
> 
> Canon Warnings:  
> Should pretty much line up with canon. I brought Ethan back, simply because I liked his character and I think it works well since I'm not giving up on Noma/Alex. I did some research on different classes of angel, and technically the 'Powers' are more highly ranked than Archangels in some ways- but I'm throwing that out the window in favor of making the Archangels top dog as it seemed they were in the show. I will not be bashing Claire, Laurel, David, Arika, or other characters here- I may write some characters out, but I will try to keep everyone in-character.
> 
> Further Notes:  
> Still working on this, sorry for the hiatus.

Alex stood before Noma, his eyes seeing, yet his mind refused to admit the truth. Noma had made a deal with the Devil. He was sure of it. How else could she have the brilliant, blinding white wings that stretched out from her back. Wings to replace those she had ripped herself from, for his sake, only days ago.

“Nomes?”

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Nomes, what have you done?”

Before she had a chance to answer, there was an explosion. A flash-grenade. Alex fell forward, feeling those glowing white wings hover over him, shielding him as she had done when Gabriel’s hideout had been bombed. Then there was gunfire and shouting.

“Alex, come with me? We can be together. Far away from here?”

“No, we have to stay and fight.”

“Vega will fall, Alex! Come with me! Save yourself!”

He shook his head, standing on shaky legs. His head throbbed and his vision blurred from unshed tears. Noma also stood, more solidly than he could, and backed away from him. Alex was almost certain he was not imagining the tears in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes.

“Goodbye, Alex.”

Another explosion, this one a real grenade. Everything went black. The last thing Alex thought, before he fell into the darkness, was how he couldn’t die- he still had to save Nomes.

~*~*~*~*~

Ethan and one of the new recruits, Jamison, carried Alex between them with an arm each over their shoulders, their guns hanging from straps. Four men went ahead, three in the rear. Ethan had informed them that Alex’s survival was as vital as Michael’s or General Reisen’s might once have been. Jamison had known Alex and took no convincing. The two of them had scooped up their unconscious friend, after finding him in the tunnel where he had been earlier performing Evictions. Noma was gone, and none of them had seen her. Ethan had assumed the worst.

“Eeth, we gotta get out the West Gate. The other three are overrun.”, Jamison called over to him, the noise from the attacks above them drowning out most of their radio communication.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!”, Ethan called back.

They all made their way, only twice encountering 8-Balls. Fortunately, the 8-balls had only been in pairs, allowing them to quickly take down the 8-Balls without losing any of their small number. Then, they finally hit a blockade they could not quickly get past. Fifteen 8-Balls stood, armed and waiting. Ethan now knew what it felt like to face a firing squad. Their odds were no better. He checked, seeing that Alex was still unconscious. If he had been awake, he might have done the magic that turned 8-Balls back into people.

His men stood, all pulling their weapons up and ready to try to take a few down with them. There was no point in thinking of survival. It would not happen. Ethan stood a little taller and was ready. There was a loud crash and then a haze of smoke and gunfire. Ethan opened his eyes. He, Alex, Jamison, and 5 of their men, still stood. All of the 8-Balls were splattered on the ground in front of them, and in the middle of the mess stood a large, heavily armored vehicle. The side door of it popped upward, revealing a woman in a battered leather bomber jacket, goggles, cargo pants, and boots. She almost looked like a pilot from the 1980s.

“GET IN!”

Ethan and Jamison moved forward towards the vehicle just as another door popped out and upward, allowing them access into the rear compartment. It seemed the vehicle was a modified military grade cargo truck of some sort. He, Jamison, Alex, and the other five men all fit with a bit of room to spare. Ethan was ready to get back out, wherever this crazy woman would take them. He pulled the door shut and she took off quickly enough to send all of them onto their butts.

Ethan felt the minuscule contents of his stomach threatening to escape, as the wild woman drove in a mad zig-zag pattern to escape the city. Glancing at his men, it seemed they fared no better. Then suddenly, the vehicle came to a stuttering stop. Ethan signaled to his men to ready their weapons. Be it a trap or an ambush, they would be ready.

Quiet stretched for a long moment inside the cargo compartment. The few angel corps looked at each other and around, all straining their ears to hear what went on outside the walls of their shelter. They could hear the battle, faintly, going on within the walls of Vega. Ethan was about to have someone press an ear to the wall when they heard a new sound. Someone grabbing onto the sides of the vehicle. The engine roared again and they were knocked off their feet as the vehicle took off. One of the men, Shazaf, managed to get the door to crack open and get a peak of the outside.

“Sir, you are not going to believe this.”

“What?”, Ethan asked.

“The angels… Archangels, they are hitching a ride on top of us.”

“Archangels? Plural?”

“Yes, sir. Michael is one. I can’t see who the other is, just a bit of their wing.”

“It could be Noma.”

Word had spread, weeks ago, that Noma was a higher angel. Hidden in their ranks, protected by Michael’s influence, fighting beside them all the while. Ethan grinned to himself. He had his friends back, and it looked as though most of his troupe would survive the night at least.

“Alright men, seeing as we’ve got Michael and Noma up top, I think we can take a chance on some sleep. Torres, Shazaf, Jones, Tilk- you get some sleep. Harris, you’re with me and Jamison. We’ve gotta make sure Alex doesn’t hit his head while we’re on this bumpy trail.”

The four with a sleeping shift, moved to tuck tightly against each other, with the two at the ends using their jackets to shield their heads. The four were tight as sardines in a can. Harris moved to sit beside Alex’s legs, keeping his weapon handy and pointed roughly in the direction of the hatch they had come in through. Jamison sat at Alex’s left, Ethan at his right, their jackets both under his head and shoulders. He had a nasty gash on his forehead and bruises across the left side of his face. His left hand was a bit cut up and bruised as well.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?”, Jamison asked in a loud whisper.

Ethan looked down at Alex, one of the first friends he had made in life. And one of the most loyal a man could hope for. Looking back up at his comrade and lover, Ethan was not sure he could make guarantees he was not convinced of himself.

“I don’t know, Jamison. I hope so.”


	2. In the Shadow of Vega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is taken care of out in the desert, Michael and Gabriel get to meet their rescuer, and someone has to fill Alex in on the last few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> This chapter is probably the last short one, as the next one is shaping up to be a big'un. Hope y'all enjoy!

Gabriel sagged against the side of the vehicle he and Michael were riding atop, their driver weaving a path through first the wreckage and then the dessert under a starless, black night. After being overtaken by the Wrath, then whatever had been done to him by their First Brother back in Mallory, Gabriel felt like roadkill. In fact, he was sure roadkill felt better than he did at this moment. He felt Michael’s large hand land on his shoulder and looked up to see his brother’s concerned gaze upon him.

“I am well enough, Brother.”

Michael nodded once, then retracted his hand in favor of holding onto their transport. Whoever the masked woman was, she drove like a mad woman, however there was clearly a skill to it. She was not just blindly going with lots of luck.

“Do you think we can trust her?”

“She saved Alex and some members of the Angel Corps. No reason I can think of for her to do that, except to save them. She made no attempt to fire on us.”

They rode a while, neither speaking any further, though both their minds raced. The little group of refugees and angels continued to travel away from Vega until they noticed the sky beginning to light with colors of the coming dawn. They were far enough from the city to be within sprinting distance of the mountains. Mountains that were perfect to get lost in. Or for an ambush. From the look on Michael’s face, Gabriel was sure the same thoughts had just run through his brother’s mind. Both readied themselves, in case a fight awaited them.

The mad woman wove a path through the mountains as the dawn approached, lighting her path enough that she turned off the dim headlights she had been navigating by. Gabriel had been surprised any human could see well enough to steer in such low light, however with her thick goggles the woman could easily have been using some night vision goggles of her own making. Humans were sometimes very ingenuous. 

A few minutes later, with the sun now visible if you were not buried in the ravines as they were, the vehicle came to a stop. Gabriel and Michael looked around. They were well-placed to defend themselves and to hide. Nothing would be able to find them behind all this rock and the woman had the good sense to park the vehicle beneath an arch of rock that would hide it from anyone who might fly above them. They were effectively tucked in a hole, hidden from all the world.

The two archangels dropped from their spots on the roof, landing on either side of the vehicle. A hatch in the back compartment opened to have four Angel Corps soldiers pour out. The tallest, a black-haired man Michael only vaguely remembered, stood at attention when he saw Michael. The other three followed suit a second later.

“Sir, Alex Lannon is in the rear with three more of our troupe. Sergeants Mack and Jamison, and Private Harris.”

Michael looked the young soldier over, seeing that he had sustained a few bruises and scrapes, though no serious injuries. The other three appeared in similar condition. However, as Gabriel stepped around the back of the vehicle, they all raised their guns in unison to aim at him.

“STOP!”, Michael ordered.

“Gabriel is on our side now. He has accepted Alex as the Chosen One, and is here to help us. Lower your weapons.”

All four men did.

“Now, two of you make an inventory of any and all supplies we have. The other two, make a sweep of the area. A thorough one. Then report back.”

All four men gave a nod, then went to their assignments. Michael moved to the hatch while Gabriel went into the air, just high enough to be able to look around their hideout and make sure no one was following them or trailing them. Michael had to see Alex. He had been able to smell the young man’s blood, though he had been reassured to hear a steady heartbeat he recognized as Alex’s. Michael had made a great study of human heartbeats.

“Alex?”, he called as he poked his head into the compartment.

Three men sat in there, a young private with a spooked look and his hand wrapped tightly around the shoulder butt of his weapon. A second man, with midnight black hair and bright grey eyes, who held a small cloth to Alex’s forehead. Ethan Mack, one of Noma and Alex’s dearest friends in the corps, held Alex’s upper body in his lap, as if cradling his friend. From the looks of it, Ethan and the other man had been keeping Alex from being too badly jostled in the cargo area so he did not further injure himself.

“Do you need help getting him out?”, Michael asked.

“No, sir. We can get him out, sir.”, Ethan answered.

Michael stepped out of their way, allowing Ethan and the other two, whose vest were tagged Jamison and Harris, to get Alex out. He felt his legs wobble a bit as he stepped backward, back onto the sandy ground. He had not had a break since he woke from his odd coma, after his second resurrection since this war began. In the intervening time between his return to life and now, he had been tortured, imprisoned, fought Gabriel, watched Gabriel almost die, had seen visions of Alex being killed while Michael stood helpless, had seen Noma after she ripped out her own wings and then he nearly killed Noma when the Wrath had overtaken him, had watched a nightmare of Alex killing himself, had seen Alex tortured, had felt Gabriel’s being tortured, had been in the coma, and had fought off a pack of 8-Balls to get to Alex. Even archangels had their limits.

As he stepped aside, careful to avoid showing his weakened state to the men caring for Alex, he noticed the door of the truck was opening. The woman who had saved them, stepped out. There was something eerily familiar about her. Michael’s tired mind worked, trying to remember. He shook his head as Gabriel came to land beside him, both of them moving towards Alex.

“How long has he been unconscious?”, Michael asked.

“He was out when we found him, and he never woke up the whole ride out here. So at least 4 hours, sir.”, Ethan answered.

“Find him some shade and try to tend to him as best you can.”

All three men nodded, each moving to help carry Alex somewhere.

“I’ve got some supplies here in the truck. You all are welcome to them.”

Michael turned, unable to believe his ears. Gabriel too, had turned to face their driver. She was standing beside the cab of the truck, pulling gloves from her hands. As Michael expected, a shiny scar covered most of the back of her left hand. A scar left from a burn. Then came her cap and goggles, as she shook her long, snow-white hair loose, before looking up at them, stopping just as they had. Her smile faltered. Michael looked into those eyes, the green so dark her pupils were nearly invisible, chubby cheeks making her face forever youthful against the hair of an old maid. Aside from her attire, she looked no different than she had the last time Michael had seen her.

“Leonora?”

Her smile widened as her eyes locked with his.

“Michael.”

He took a step forward, only for his leg to buckle beneath him, Leonora’s arms moving to catch him.

“Still falling for me, eh?”

“You disappeared.”, Gabriel charged.

Leonora looked up at him, her countenance heartbroken. Gabriel had no doubt, wherever Leonora and her six sisters had been, they had been aware of the War. And of Gabriel’s part in it. Considering their history, Gabriel could imagine how betrayed she had felt at learning what had become of him, and of his feud with Michael.

“My sisters and I, we were sent on a journey. One we undertook with no warning and with no idea when, or if, we might return. When we did, the world was torn asunder and Angels battled Humans. We had no place in such a world, so we did what we could to restore the balance.”

“Your sisters are here?”, Gabriel asked, confused.

“Aye, they are. Adira presides over a city in what was once known as British Columbia. Joan has a city in what had been Greece. They each six of them, have a city to preside over and guard.”

Gabriel moved to help Michael stand, though he felt he was soon to fall as well. Leonora stepped forward, helping both archangels steady themselves as the three walked towards a covered area, smaller than what covered the armored truck. Both brothers fell into spots where they could lean against the stone walls to prop themselves up. Leonora moved to sit beside Michael. She quickly looked over to see Ethan and Jamison tending to Alex in another hole, Harris sitting at the end with his gun at the ready.

“What has happened, Gabriel? I was with Adira, when she felt something. I also felt it, though she could understand it better. She said the Chosen one had done an Eviction. She sent me to come and help you, Michael. Then, when I was almost to the city, I felt this new shift in the balance. It felt as it had when the Wrath was unleashed on Sodom and Gamora. A terrible shift. And then I felt another, larger-scale Eviction. And I felt something… with the two of you, and… older.”

“Lucifer has returned.”

Leonora’s eyes went wide.

“No.”

“Yes.”, Michael supplied.

“No. He was struck down. Destroyed. He cannot return.”

Gabriel let out a dark laugh.

“Michael did not destroy the last of his remains. He buried them in the sea.”

She looked to Michael, yet he found no anger or judgement in her eyes. Only understanding and care.

“I could not destroy the part of him that was left. I thought he deserved a proper burial. He was the only one like Father, who shared Father’s gift to bring things into being. To create. It seemed wrong.”

Leonora’s hand moved, giving his hand a small squeeze. Michael was nearly startled. It had been so long since anyone had touched him that way. Becca had reached for him, yet there had always been a way about her, as if she held something back. He later learned just how much she held back from him. And Laurel, her touch had been unexpected, yet there had still been a reverence to it that made Michael feel as though he had taken advantage of her. Of her faith. With Leonora, that had never been an issue between them. Powers were only a step below Archangels in the pecking order of Heaven, and they had reign over the very balance of the universe. It was their job to ensure the goodness of creation was not corrupted. None of them were intimidated or in awe of the Archangels, though Leonora had always been particularly unflappable in the presence of the Archangels.

When Father had created the Powers, Michael had found them interesting and odd. Gabriel used to spar with two of them, as they were so much closer to an Archangel in power, stamina, strength, and speed. A worthy sparring partner. Then Lucifer had risen, and Leonora lost two of her sisters, only for two more to be forged by Father as their job required more than what five could offer. With such a history, Leonora and her sisters held no reason to fear the Archangels. If anything, they had more reason than most to mistrust the Archangels.

“Yet now he rises?”

Gabriel nodded.

“He has used a false prophet to garner faith from the desperate, and he has used that faith to power himself. They sacrifice a member of their small community, every five years. A selfless sacrifice, where they take on all the sins of those around them, and suffer a punishment to purify the town. It all powers Lucifer. He has protected the town from 8-Balls, and because of this, they have believed everything his Prophet has preached to them.”

Leonora shook her head.

“This prophet, is he human or some sort of higher angel? Maybe a dyad?”

“As far as we can tell,” Michael explained, “he is a human with powers gifted to him by our brother.”

She shook her head and leaned back. Michael realized that her hand was still holding his. Glancing over at Gabriel, he could see the touch had not escaped his twin’s attention.

“We had best keep Alex away from him.”

“It’s worse.”, Michael continued. “Lucifer turned Noma.”

“Noma? No!”, Leonora questioned.

“Hard to believe, given her love of humans.”, said Gabriel.

“She always was so curious about them, she grew attached so easily, I would never think she would side with anyone who did not have humanity’s best interests at heart.”

Michael tilted his head back, letting out a long, slow breath. He wondered where to even begin with Noma’s story. Gabriel saved him the trouble.

“She had sided with me, at first, when I opened the amphora to unleash… to destroy the humans. She even agreed to hunt down the Chosen One and kill him, so he could not grow to be a threat. She killed his mother and took off with the child, and unable to follow my command, she instead gave the child up to Michael and became his most loyal lieutenant. For years, she stayed just close enough to be able to help protect Alex and the other higher angels, in Vega. Then Michael had her join the Angel Corps with Alex, to ensure his safety.”

Gabriel paused, though Michael figured this part his brother did not know as well.

“They fell in love, and Alex was ready to run away in order to be with her. The Angel Corps members were not supposed to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with each other. I sent Noma away for a while, to give Alex a chance to forget her. When I brought her back, they still clearly had feelings for one another, they just grew better at hiding them. Alex had even begun an ill-advised relationship with the daughter of General Riesen. Yet, his feelings for Noma were not snuffed out or eclipsed. Her time spent protecting him, after he learned she was a higher angel, proved that.”

“Then, they were captured. Michael and I were captured as well. Michael escaped and Alex went out in search of him, but when they caught Alex, they pinned Noma’s wings.”

Neither man imagined the flinch crossing Leonora’s face. Gabriel took a steadying breath before finishing.

“Noma…she tore out her own wings to save Alex. They were burning the Markings off of his skin. She almost died from the shock of it, yet she was able to fight and save Alex.”

“She begged me to leave her behind, and after that she nearly got herself killed trying to protect Alex.”, Michael finished.

“She went through all of that for him, only to turn on him? That makes no sense.”

“After the Wrath overtook us, in Vega, she was a little different. More distant, less restless. I believe she made a deal with Lucifer.”

Leonora let out a long breath, her eyes falling closed. Michael had always gotten the impression, that of all the higher angels, Noma had been one of Leonora’s favorites. Noma had been quite intimidated by the Powers, as most angels were. Which meant that the Powers were often treated with the same respect, awe, reverence, and slight fear that they treated the Archangels with.

“Sir?”

All three looked up to see Corporal Shazaf standing just outside of the little stone cozy they had tucked themselves into. He was standing at attention, looking just as wrung out as they all felt. Michael answered him.

“Yes, Corporal.”

“Lannon woke up a minute ago. Sargent Mack said I was to tell you.”

Michael began to stand, his legs still a bit wobbly beneath him. Leonora stood beside him, subtly a half-step back and helping him stay upright without the soldiers realizing anything was amiss.

“I’ll be there directly, Corporal.”

The soldier walked off, returning back to his task of taking an inventory of their supplies. Michael leaned a bit more on Leonora, while Gabriel sat too unsteady to even attempt to stand. Michael shook his head, trying to rouse himself.

“We are a sorry sight.”, Gabriel growled half-heartedly.

“Speak for yourselves.”, Leonora teased, “I look great.”

They all three waited a moment longer, then Michael began moving forward on his own steam. He had to get to Alex. To speak to him. So much had happened and Michael had so much to answer for. He noticed that neither Leonora or Gabriel came with him. He was glad. Michael wanted to speak to Alex alone. Sargent Jamison exited the area they had been keeping Alex in, giving a nod to Michael as he passed. The young man had dark circles verging on bruises. Sargent Mack lingered beside Alex, as worried as he had been the day he sought Michael’s help in locating Alex.

“Sargent Mack, how is Alex?”

“He is awake and appears to be on the mend, sir.”

“And he can hear just fine.”, Alex added in a grouchy tone.

Michael moved swiftly to Alex’s side, crouching low next to his charge. He was distressed to see the gash on Alex’s forehead as well as the damage to his lower left arm and hand. Yet Michael was still greatly relieved to find Alex alive, conscious, and able to work up a grump. That was a sign he had not lost his spirit.

“Alex?”

Michael watched as Alex turned his head, more slowly than usual, to look over at Michael. His eyes were focused and clear, a clean tear track coming down from his right eye, through the blood and soot on the young man’s face.

“How do you feel?”

“Like a wall fell on me.”

“It did.”, Ethan added.

Alex groaned a bit, almost as if to laugh. Ethan reached, a damp rag in his hand, as he began wiping off Alex’s face. Michael reached for the rag.

“I’ll finish, Sargent Mack. Why don’t you, Sargent Jamison, and Harris, get some sleep? Your other men were able to catch a bit of shut eye in the truck, the three of you watched over Alex.”

Ethan nodded, but checked with Alex first. Alex gave him a thumbs-up. Once Michael and Alex were alone, Alex reached to stop Michael’s tending. Those intense blue eyes focused on Michael as they had when Michael left him on a roof, all those years ago.

“Where is Noma?”

“She flew away.”

“You’re sure?”

Michael nodded. Alex seemed to deflate.

“She has sided with Lucifer.”

“I know.”, Alex mumbled.

“He must have given her something great.”

“Wings.”

“What?”, Michael asked in disbelief.

“Wings. Great, shining, white wings. When we were alone in the tunnel, she turned and faced me, then let her wings unfurl so I could get a good look. She seemed almost… like she was under a spell. She wasn’t herself.”

“Then what happened?”

“She asked me to come with her. I refused. Then there was a flash-grenade, and she knocked me to the floor, using her new wings to shield the two of us, just like she did when Gabriel’s hall was bombed out. She begged me, Michael. Begged me to come with her. Then there was another explosion and everything went black. I woke up out here with Ethan trying to clean around this cut on my head.”

Alex was not ready to give up on Noma. Not by a long shot. She was his Nomes. She had risked her life and her brand-new wings, to protect him. He did not doubt for a second, that she still loved him as fiercely as ever. He was sure that she had not left him, until Ethan was close enough that she was certain Ethan would get Alex out of the rubble.

“How did we get out? Did you scoop all of us up?”

“Gabriel and I were in Mallory when we learned what had happened, about Noma having changed sides. We flew back, but Ethan and his troupe had already gotten you into an armored truck and were driving out of the city.”

“An armored truck? Where did they get one of those? Vega’s last one was blown up six months ago?”

“A friend of Gabriel and I’s, she was driving.”

“Oh, well I guess we’ve got one more friend.”

“She’s a higher angel, one of the Powers.”

“What?”

Michael offered Alex a small smile. One that it seemed his protector wore more often as he spent more time with Alex and other humans at ground level.

“For now, lets focus on getting you cleaned up and bandaged. We can focus on getting you up to speed later.”

Alex started to nod, before realizing what a terrible idea that was as his head felt as though someone had decided to split him open with a sledge hammer. Michael moved to steady him, then brought the damp cloth back up to clean Alex’s face, neck, and hands. For a long while, Alex laid there silently and let Michael take care of him.

“We have to save her, Michael.”

“I thought you would say as much.”

Alex tried to smile at his protector, as he felt the pull of sleep again. He was so tired. Keeping his eyes open required too much effort, so he let them stay closed. Maybe a couple hours of sleep and not being shot at, tortured, threatened, or beat up for a few hours, would be enough to rejuvenate him enough to be useful by nightfall. For now, all he could do was lay still and allow himself to sleep.


	3. Echos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire learns of her new purpose. Michael and Gabriel discuss what comes next, and how much trouble they are in. Noma learns the full plan of Lucifer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not as much Gabriel and Michael in this chapter, as it sets up stuff for two of our three leading ladies. But I do give them a Brotherly moment. No Alex in this chapter. We do get to meet a new Prophet and see a new little town out there unknowingly supporting Lucifer's rise.
> 
> Trigger Warning: References both Claire's losing her baby in S2 as well as her guilt in the wake of that loss. Hints at mind-control and there is some telepathy later with another character.

Claire opened her eyes to see a beautiful mural. Not like the ones she grew up with in Vega, depicting Michael’s battling back the horde of 8-Balls in defense of an infant Chosen One. These were warmer, as if viewing events through a soft focus. Not a single angel in any of the art. People tended fields and fixed roofs, dogs helped keep cattle and sheep guarded, and a man who was blacked out to almost look like a shadow standing before a crowd of people while holding a brilliant light in his hands, over his head. It was beautiful.

She decided to get up, she had a full day ahead of her. Then it hit her. She died. In Alex’s arms, in her father’s tower apartments. The city was under attack. Alex had come to warn her, then her dad appeared but he was different- then dead again, and suddenly there had been pain and then… nothing.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Claire jumped to her feet, spinning to face the source of the comment. There stood a woman with a large black hat, similar to a cowboy hat but flat on top, dressed almost entirely in black except for the gold and red sash at her hips and red scarf around her neck with a thin gold shimmer here and there. Her face was friendly though not remarkable with no scars or markings. There was something about her though, it almost felt like when Claire stood near Michael. Something old and powerful, beyond what her mere human mind could comprehend.

“Who are you? Where am I? Why am I not-dead?”

“I am Prophet to our Savior. You may call me Evie. You are in our Church, in the town Sweet Water, a good ride from Vega. Our Savior has a need of you, and as such, He returned you to us.”

“Savior?”

“Yes. He has plans for the Chosen One, and you are important to those plans.”

Claire’s head was spinning.

“You may wish to sit down. This is a lot to take in, I would think. I will have a meal and water fetched for you in a moment.”

“Are you the leader here?”

“No. That would be Noah. I am just the Prophet. I bring the Edicts, so the people know what is expected of them as they prepare the way.”

Now Claire was really at a loss.

“You guys are waiting for Alex?”

“Ah, the Chosen One’s name is Alex. We had not known yet. A good name. A place is being put together for you. We had not expected you quite so soon, so I’m afraid the final touches are a bit rushed. However, you will find that your house is a fine one with a beautiful view of the rising dawn every morning. We pray that direction every morning.”

“Will I be expected to pray?”

“All who live in Sweet Water, pray to the Savior at the dawn’s first light, the star of morning gracing all with its light.”

Something about the way this Prophet said it, there was a tickle of memory at the back of her mind. Something important. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to remember something about her last day or if it was something about the Prophecy surrounding Michael and Alex, or something else. Something older, like a story her dad might have told her when she was very young.

“You are troubled?”

“Sorry. Headache. Everything feels a little…scrambled.”

The Prophet nodded, her look sympathetic.

“That is to be expected when one is just reborn. It will clear. Food and a bath will help. I shall have them served to you directly. Come. Let us go to your house.”

Claire nodded, still feeling as if there was something she was missing. Some piece of vital information she was skipping over. The pull to trust this Prophet was a strong one, yet Claire could not fully allow herself to trust. Just hours ago, or maybe longer, it was hard to tell. She had been dreaming she was in her apartment with her beautiful child, Alex at her side, all of them playing on the floor like a normal, happy family. The kind of thing that did not exist in Vega, not even for the Lady of the City.

“Your heart aches, I know, for your child and your Chosen One. Soon he will be back and the Prophecy will unfold. Then your heart will not be so heavy.”

“Do you always talk like this?”

“When in the presence of Fate Unfolding, yet. Otherwise, less so.”

Claire nodded numbly, her limbs so tired and legs ungainly. The Prophet at her side held her close, helping keep Claire on her feet and moving in a straight line towards a charming little house. It was a bit bigger than some of the houses near it, though note the largest house in the little town. All of the houses, Claire noticed, were painted in pale shades but only this house and the Church were white. And the windows of her house were larger than most of the others in town, and there seemed to be more of them per wall. It almost looked like a Church and a House had been put in a blender.

“Mary will bring you a good meal, her best lamb roast and vegetables from her garden. Then a bath will be drawn by Ruth, the town healer, with some herbs to help clear your head and soothe your aches. Then you can sleep, and after morning prayers, we can let you meet some more of the people.”

“That sounds agreeable. Although, I can get my own bath.”

“Tonight, you will have a nurse. You are in no shape to care for yourself.”

Claire felt the urge to fight this woman on it, but then it seemed she had no energy for the fight. She sighed heavily. Maybe coming back from the dead was more tiring than she had guessed. Not quite so rejuvenating as she might have thought. Granted, the only person she had known of to return from the dead was Michael, and she had been about two years old when that happened, so it was not like she got a chance to see it or ask him about it.

As she was led up into the house, Claire was struck by how clean it was. Simple, but clean. White walls, tall windows, overstuffed couches, a large chair that looked almost like a throne in one corner, and the kitchen looked big enough for feeding an army. They went down a hall towards a large bedroom, after passing four smaller ones, and the large bedroom had a king-sized bed with large, fluffy pillows, a beautiful quilted bedspread, and the frame was made of iron painted white. It was beautiful. Claire felt an urge to just let herself drop into the bed. Then, unbidden, images of Alex filled her mind.

“This will be your room. Mary should be here now, with your food. Let us return to the kitchen.”

The Prophet left Claire’s side and began walking down the hall. Claire stepped closer to the bed and was assaulted with memories of the feel of Alex’s touch, of the warmth of him, the feeling of sleeping in his arms. Claire stepped back as if scalded and the images fell away quickly as she shook her head. She had loved Alex, dearly, but somehow after she had been with Gates – she realized how shallow things with Alex had been. He had been a boy trying to escape first the city, then the expectations of an impossible prophecy, she had been a protected little princess with a cute boy then with a savior she had been praying for at her father’s direction all of her life. They had never truly been Alex- soldier and orphan, with Claire- politician and lonely woman. They had been so caught up in the romance of their forbidden relationship, they hadn’t ever really stopped to figure out if they really loved each other or loved the idea the other represented.

Gates, he had been different. He wasn’t some savior, a forbidden fling, or anything of the kind. He was a grumpy, bossy, irritable, weary man who was smart enough to challenge Claire, even out-think her at times. He made her better. He made her think bigger, think deeper. And when he made love to her, she had not felt like something he was afraid to break or a Princess to be worshiped. He made her feel powerful, desired, and connected with. Alex had been sweet, but she always felt like he was afraid he would do something to scare or hurt her, that he always held back a big part of himself. Odd, considering she had carried his child for a time.

Guilt struck her. It was her fault she had lost their baby, despite his assurances that it hadn’t been. Despite all Gates’s assurances that it had not been her fault. She felt the guilt double when she thought about how much she had wished the baby had been Gates’s child and not Alex’s. Then Alex might not have left and the mess might not have been so bad, she could have run away with Gates when the city was about to fall instead of letting him die there to defend a city for a few hours against something that was going to happen anyway.

“Claire?”

The Prophet’s voice came through.

“Sorry. Brain’s still fuzzy.”

The Prophet smiled, but there was something hidden there. She could almost hear Gates in her ear, telling her that it was the honest looking faces you had to distrust the most. A lesson her father often tried to impart to her.

“Coming.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Michael moved back into the little cave that he, Gabriel, and Leonora had claimed for their own. He had wanted Alex to stay with them, but he seemed well settled with Ethan and Ethan’s lover. Neither would allow harm to come to Alex, and Ethan knew Alex well enough to be able to tell when Alex was feigning better than he truly felt- and Ethan was intimidated enough of Michael to follow Michael’s orders for an update if Alex felt any discomfort or was worrying Ethan. Sometimes it came in handy to be The Angel.

Gabriel was sound asleep, his eyes twitching behind his lids. Michael watched his twin for a moment, taking a breath and remembering how a few hours ago he had thought he might lose Gabriel. Before Lucifer decided to save Gabriel, through the Prophet of Mallory. Mallory also weighed on Michael’s mind. What would become of the people there? Would Lauren or another be expected to sacrifice themselves in five years? Would his brother turn his back on them in vengeance? And what the Prophet said, that he was not the only one who heard Lucifer’s voice. Were other Prophets, as powerful as the one Michael and whom Noma described as being able to set fire to 8-balls with a thought, who guarded over other towns just like Mallory? So many questions swirled around Michael’s mind that he almost felt as if he were caught in a cyclone.

Turning, he spotted Leonora. She was propped up with her feet crossed at the ankles, fiddling with a little puzzle toy. A couple nails twisted and intertwined, with the goal being to get them apart. It was only taking her a few seconds to get them apart then put them back together. She always had been smart. Sometimes too much so for her own good.

“Michael, quit being a creeper.”

He smiled tiredly, moving to let himself collapse beside her. Gabriel stirred slightly. Once all was quiet again, Michael turned to Leonora and watched her as she continued to play with the little puzzle.

“How’s Alex?”

“He woke up and we talked a while before he began to nod off again.”

“Did he have anything else to say about Noma?”

“Her new wings, they are white.”

“Like Lucifer’s followers’ wings were.”

“Exactly. There is no doubt now. She joined him. We cannot trust her from here on out.”

Leonora let her head fall back, a long sigh falling from her.

“I would not count on her siding against Alex.”

Both of them were surprised to hear Gabriel’s statement. Leonora because she had thought the archangel to be fully asleep, Michael because of Gabriel’s opinion of Noma since the day she traded in her loyalty to Gabriel and his anti-humanity cause in favor of swearing an oath of fealty to Michael and another of loyalty and protection to the Chosen One. As Gabriel propped himself up, he let out a breathy, rumbling chuckle.

“I know, I’m hardly the one anybody would expect to defend Noma. However, I saw the look on her face when she decided to tear herself from her wings. That was not a warrior worried about failing or one of the flock wishing to protect Father’s markings. It was the lock of a woman in love, desperate to protect the one she loved most.”

“Alex did say she risked her new wings and her life, to protect him when the tunnel caved in.”

Leonora looked over at Michael curiously. He had not mentioned that before, though he had just returned.

“And she had continued to protect him when the amphora was opened and the city was tearing itself apart. Despite the darkness beginning to eat away at her, she still protected him.”

“Brother, if Lucifer makes her choose between him and Alex…”, he trailed off.

“If she does choose Alex, it will not end well for her.”

“If she chooses Alex, we’ll have her back. She’ll be back on Team Chosen One.”

Michael’s eyebrows rose as Gabriel suppressed a chuckle.

“Oh, both of you go to sleep. I’ll take first watch.”, she growled as she got up.

Once she was out of earshot for angels, Gabriel let out a small sigh as he smiled, stretching back out to sleep. Michael leaned against the one wall, seemingly relaxed except for his eyes. They betrayed all the overdrive of thinking that was going on that head of his.

“At least there has been one pleasant surprise today.”

Michael nodded.

“How are you feeling?”, he asked his twin.

Gabriel let out a noise, waving Michael’s concern off as he flopped back into his thin bedroll.

“Nothing some sleep won’t cure. Go on Michael, sleep. This mess will still be here in the morning for you to over-think about.”

“What do you think of Leonora being drawn here, the feeling she described that the other Powers all felt?”

“Alex doing Evictions. His coming into his place as the Chosen One.”

“Do you think it could have been, at least in part, Lucifer’s breaking through to having a full physical form and regaining his gifts?”

“Possible.”

“If he regains his full strength before we face him…”

“We’re doomed. When he was at his full strength before, we had all of the strength of Heaven at our disposal, a host of higher angels to battle his minions, and the two of us with Leonora, Uriel, Raphaelle, and the four other remaining Powers to aid us. We will be in these weaker forms, battered and bruised, with only Leonora and a group of small, barely armed, badly battered humans- including your Alex.”

“We could hide him for a while, try to strengthen our number.”

“Oh great, let’s fight Lucifer with a large band of suicidal idiot humans and three angels.”

“What other option do we have, Gabriel?”

“That’s the problem. I can’t think of another.”

“Take your own advice. Think about it in the morning.”

“A new dawn to think of how to kill the Morning Star.”

“Stop talking. Sleep.”

“Yes sir, Michael, sir.”

He got a small growl in response, prompting a smile to spread across his face. He had forgotten what it was like to have his brother at his side. Hopefully, when all this was over, they would still be standing together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Noma walked into the little white Church, her senses on alert. She nolonger had Alex and Ethan, or Michael and the other higher angels, to watch her back. She had to have her own six now.

“He is waiting for you.”

She turned to see the man who had saved she and Alex at that farm house. The morning she woke to her ruined back and Alex’s gentle touch as he sat awake most of the night to ensure she survived it.

“What do I call you?”, she asked the man in the hat.

“You may call me the Prophet, or just Prophet.”

“Don’t think much of yourself, do you?”

He smiled, showing impressive white teeth. Something about the smile put Noma ill at ease.

“Alright. Let’s do this and get it overwith.”

She followed him as he lead her away from the Church and out towards what appeared to be an old factory. It was far enough from town that it was no surprise the people did not come out here, as it was well beyond the little wall they erected at the edge of the safe zone. The Prophet opened a door into the building and Noma followed him through and down several sets of stairs, until they were in a basement. The Prophet stepped aside to gesture towards a pool of what appeared to be orange water. Noma was about to make a crack about finding another flavor of Jell-O when she noticed a stirring. The water shifted but not the way water should. It was unnatural.

“Our Savior, Lucifer. The Morning Star.”

“Why is he in there?”

“One of the many oddities of the humans. They tampered with Creation so much. There was a lab out here. This is one of the few remaining sections of it. They brought people out here to work it, their government telling only the works anything and even then, just enough for them to function. Their wives and children dragged out here with them, knew nothing. They moved out here, sent their husbands off to the labs, and went about their days grocery shopping, sewing, raising children, doing activities in little clubs they made up, and keeping house. All the while, their husband wrecked and ruined the world around them, creating a perfect chamber to return the Savior to his former glory, with a little help from the Chosen One and these kind little folks in the little towns dotted across the barren land, each devotion from them strengthening Him.”

Noma felt her skin crawl at the way this Prophet spoke of the former First Angel among the Heavens. The first Archangel. Noma had not been there for the battle against him when he rose against the order of things, though she had seen the marks left on those who had been there to witness it firsthand. And furthermore, she did not well-handle this man talking about the fallen angel the way most spoke of Father.

“All will be well, Noma.”

She turned, realizing the voice she had just heard was not the Prophet’s and it felt as if she heard it within her own skull. Lucifer had just talked to her inside her own head. The Prophet must have gathered as much, as he chuckled before speaking.

“Good. You can hear him. I am glad. That will make this much easier than if I had to relay every command.”

“What do we do? Set up a perimeter? Teach these people how to fight?”

“No. We wait.”

“Wait? For what?”

“The Chosen One.”

“He won’t come here. Michael won’t allow it.”

The Prophet smiled and Noma heard the voice chuckling in her head. It made her sick.

“That is where you come in, dear Noma.”, the voice purred.

“What?”

The Prophet’s grin widened.

“You are the bait and this is the trap.”

“No.”

“Yes. Now come, we must clean you up and get you ready.”

“You used me to get Alex.”

“We asked you to bring him, though this will work better. He will be even less defensive, as he’ll be too distracted by trying to save you.”

Noma felt her legs wobble and she leaned back against the wall behind her. The last time she felt this helpless, she ripped out her wings and saved Alex, then asked him to kill her or at least leave her behind. He did neither. Not Alex. And now her desire for wings had doomed him to a trap.

“Come.”, the Prophet commanded almost gently.

“We need to prepare for the momentous occasion before us.”

“Occasion?”

“Yes. The Rise of Lucifer, and the end of the Archangels.”


	4. Revelations and Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire begins to understand the purpose the Prophet of Sweet Water has for her. Noma learns Lucifer's plans for Claire, Alex, herself, and the world. Michael has a moment alone with Leonora to talk. Gabriel has a map. Alex has a nightmare about Noma- or is it a premonition?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide and a plot to rip someone's jaw off (Noma is very angry about threats to Alex), also mentions possession and methods of procreation. No one actually gets possessed, mostly discussing the difference between an 8-Ball and a Diad. As for the religious stuff, if you got through the show and/or movie, I figure there's nothing here that will disturb you.
> 
> I'd also like to give a shout-out to syfy-dominion.fandom.com for helping me spell some of this stuff. I'm hopeless at spelling (being hard of hearing will do that for a person), so I have to look a lot of stuff up to make sure I'm spelling it right, or at least I'm in the neighborhood.

Alex woke with a start.

“Nomes!”

Two hands moved to his chest, gently but firmly keeping him from throwing himself off the little cot he was laying on.

“Alex! Alex, it’s alright. It was just a dream.”

He sank back, letting out a raspy breath. Swallowing a lump of fear down his dry throat, Alex thought about his nightmare. Noma had showed up, trying to get Alex to run away with her, for his own safety. Then, a creature that looked a lot like the Devil, yanked her away, tore her wings out while laughing, and then threw her bloody body at Alex. He could see Noma’s vacant eyes and her face twisted in agony.

“You alright?”

Alex looked up at Ethan. His friend had always been the sweet, gentle one of the three of them. Noma was the deadly, fierce one. Alex had been the sarcastic, rebellious one. Until now, Alex had not realized how badly he missed Ethan.

“I will be. I think. We got any water?”

“Sure.”

Jamison reached, hanging Ethan a canteen for Alex. Ethan helped his friend hold the canteen up, so he could drink rather than shower himself. Alex looked wrung out and as if he had aged a few years in the few months since Ethan had last seen the man. Passing the water back to Jamison, Ethan reached to check Alex’s forehead for a fever as a sign of infection in the various wounds he carried, and once satisfied that Alex hadn’t a fever, Ethan checked the bandages and such on his friend. Nothing seemed infected, oozing blood still, or otherwise doing anything to make Ethan worry. There was nothing to report to Michael then.

“What happened with Noma?”

There was a pause before he got his answer.

“She ripped out her wings to save me.”

“What?”

“Lyrae, a diad—a higher angel who has merged with a human host rather than just taking over like an 8-ball, he was running his own city and he’s the one who attacked Vega. He captured me, Noma, and Gabriel. They had Gabriel chained between two pillars, they were trying to find Michael, they pinned Noma to a wall by her wings, and they chained me to a pillar and began burning the marks off my skin.”

Ethan wrinkled his nose, well aware what a burn felt like. He still carried a couple scars from an incident with an old boiler from before he joined the Angel Corps. From the look on Jamison’s face, he knew exactly what Ethan was thinking about.

“Noma moved to remove herself from her wings, tearing them out of her body, to get to me. To save me. Michael showed up, saved us, got us out of there. I tried to patch her up as best I could, but I could tell, she felt she was not… worthy, not really an angel anymore, without her wings. Then that… that thing that made everyone in Vega lose their minds?”

Nodding, Ethan let Alex know that they were aware of what he was referring to. Ethan had spent the entire night when that overtook the city, holding Jamison in a broken down elevator to keep Jamison from cutting his own throat.

“When that started to affect her, she said… she couldn’t go home without her wings. She had given up her ticket back to Heaven, for me…”, he trailed off and Ethan could see how it hurt Alex to think about. Ethan had always been aware that Noma and Alex harbored feelings for each other that were not strictly platonic. They were clearly in love. Always had been.

“Then she made a deal with… the literal Devil, when I wasn’t in the room or something and now she’s got new wings. Wings she risked to protect me when the tunnel caved in, after everyone had agreed to fight beside me.”

“What about Claire? I had heard radio chatter that you went up with her.”

Alex’s face said it all. Ethan fell backward a bit. The Lady of the City, gone. The General dead. Vega in ruins, overrun with 8-balls. He had never been warm and fuzzy about the city, but it had still been his home since he had been very young. One place he was mostly safe from 8-Balls and their ilk, so long as he stayed within the walls.

“I’m sorry, Alex.”

Ethan reached, giving her friend’s hand a squeeze. This was had claimed so much before either of them made it to Vega, and now it had just claimed their home and practically everyone they had ever known, all in the span of a few hours. Only the two archangels, the woman who rescued them, and the few surviving Angel Corps members- including Alex, now remained.

~^~^~^~^~^~

Michael stood at the top of one of the rugged outcroppings of their rocky hideout, surveying the area. He heard the familiar grouching of the woman he had thought never to lay eyes on again. Turning, he could see Leonora making her way up to where he stood. When she neared his position, Michael walked to the edge, bending to offer her his arm. She took it, letting him quickly tug her up to stand beside him. For a moment, they just looked. It was a good vantage point to ensure they were not being followed or actively hunted.

“Seems we’re off the map, for the moment.”

“But for how long.”, Michael answered.

“Michael?”

He looked over at her, his ocean-blue eyes as hypnotic as a siren’s call. Or at least they had been to Leonora, ever since she first looked at Michael. This supposedly weaker, more earthly version of him, was doubly entrancing to her.

“I’m sorry I had to leave. My sisters and I were called, we hadn’t any choice.”

“I know.”

“I know you do I just…”, she let her head fall back, her gaze skyward.

“I wish we could have been here. Maybe it would have been different.”

“Or you and your sisters might have perished, been corrupted, or some other terrible fate. Father must have meant for you to sit it out, at least at first, and to come in later.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier. I feel as though we abandoned you, Gabriel, and the others.”

He stepped closer, watching her face. She could see how his eyes scanned for even the slightest hint of something. She was not sure what he was looking for exactly.

“The last time I saw you, I had pressed too fast, too hard. Scared you off.”

She scoffed.

“I fear no archangel.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of his full lips.

“Liar.”

“Alright, so I may have been a bit spooked by your… advances.”

“Then you distanced yourself and… Father called you away.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I wasn’t looking for apologies, Leonora. Quite the opposite. I meant to make one of my own. I should have showed more patience. I had lived among humanity many times and the cravings of the flesh were nothing new to me. But you, it was entirely new for you. I should have had the wisdom to understand that I needed to be more careful with you.”

She reached, her warm hand cupping his face. Michael leaned into it slightly, starved for her touch. For any touch that was not meant to harm or control. Though he especially craved hers.

“When was the last time you had a romance with a Powers, bird brain?”

“Bird brain?”

One corner of her lips quirked up, a dimple appearing in the corresponding cheek.

“Never, to answer your question.”

“Exactly. Didn’t expect perfection, Michael. I was unsure what to do, what you wanted, or if I was even able to do as mortals do. I had never tried. So I distanced myself, I needed space and time to think, to figure things out. I should have been more honest with you about that.”

“When I got to Vega, there were women. Dozens of them over the years. One, in particular, was a regular companion in my bed over the last four years I lived in Vega. After I left Vega there was another, a devout woman in a small town.”

He expected to see hurt or anger, instead finding softness and understanding.

“For all you knew, I was never coming back and even if I did, there was no indication I meant to return to you in particular. You’ve nothing to feel guilty about- you took your comfort where there was comfort to be found.”

She stepped forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before pulling back to look him in the eyes, their breath co-mingling between them. Her one warm hand still cradled his cheek, the other rested flat across his chest. Michael did not get a chance to say anything further, as they heard Gabriel calling up to them.

“Timing always was his strong suit.”, Leonora joked.

The two of them moved to glide down to where Gabriel stood, holding an old paper map, a triumphant look on the archangel’s face.

“I recollected the perfect place for us to hide. An old military base that everyone forgot about. We can hide out there, maybe collect some stuff the military left behind, live in the old barracks, and figure out our next step.”

“Good.”, Michael agreed. “I’ll have the men begin readying to travel again as soon as it’s dark. Otherwise, the back of that truck will be too hot to keep Alex in while we travel. He’s got enough damage as it is.”

Leonora nodded, then moved backward, spreading her wings.

“Where are you going?”, Gabriel almost screeched.

“Gonna plot out a path and make sure there aren’t any nasty surprises waiting for us. Quicksand pits, landmines, or other unpleasant things. Be back in a couple hours.”, and with that she took off into the air. Michael’s eyes trailed after her form and remained skyward for a long while after.

“She’ll be back soon enough, Michael. Then the two of you can pull up a tent and catch up.”

The tone his brother used when referring to ‘catching up’ left no room for ambiguity in his meaning. Michael gave his brother a Look, before turning and heading over to where Alex, Ethan, and Jamison waited. They needed to be ready to load up shortly before sunset and be ready to ship out once it was dark enough to travel more safely in 8-Ball territory.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Claire looked at the closet full of attire for her, noticing something a bit disconcerting. It was all white. Every last item. And some of the items fit her like a glove, she could tell just looking, while others looked suspiciously like maternity wear. The pieces were beginning to fall into place for her. They intended to bring Alex to Sweet Water, and for whatever reason, they expected he and Claire to breed some “children of the Chosen one”.

The house, set up like a show piece to promote the image of the perfect Chosen One and his perfect family for all to come and see. The large, white bed that made her have unwanted memories and dreams flash through her mind. The insistence that she be fed and cared for like a Queen. Now the clothes. She had to find a way to escape. And soon. If Alex was still out there, she had no idea how they might lure him but she did not wish to be party to it. If anything, she wanted to warn Alex off.

“Mistress? You look unwell. Shall I send for Ruth?”

Turning, Claire put on her best smile. Her father trained her well in the art of the Political, and a good poker face was vital in that arena.

“No, not at all, Mary. I am just blown away by the beautiful work that has been put into this home and everything Sweet Water seems to be giving me. The hours you all must have put in, I am blessed.”

Mary smiled the smile of a true believer. It turned Claire’s stomach.

“Indeed, Mistress. You are the beloved of the Chosen One, his bride to be. It is our honor to provide for you and for him, when he comes to us.”

“Is there any word on when that might be? Or how they intend to… invite him?”

Mary seemed sad for a moment.

“As far as I know, the Prophet and the Savior are aware he will come, though I don’t know if they are aware of the How or the When. The Prophet has not said anything to us, though she may have spoken to Noah and he may have kept it to himself until we have a need to know the details of it.”

The brainwashed way of the people Claire had encountered, so far, struck a deep chord of fear in her. She wondered if merely staying in Sweet Water would eventually cause her to be just like the people around her, as if there were something in the water that made them all act this way. Then it occurred to her how things were in Vega, how devout she had once been towards the Chosen One and the prophecy that he would somehow save Heaven and Earth. Had she really been so different from these people?

“Mistress?”

“Yes?”

“You seemed troubled again?”

“I’m sorry, Mary. I wonder about so many things at once, sometimes I get my head to spinning. I think I may go lay down for a while.”

“Maybe I should fetch Ruth for you.”

“No, I promise. It is nothing serious. I think only the effect of my rebirth.”, that was what the Prophet had called it, and what the people of Sweet Water seemed to call her return from the dead.

“I think I’ll make myself some tea and then take a quick nap before dinner. I should be right as rain.”

“If you are sure?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll set the kettle on for you then, before I leave.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

“Blessed be you, Mistress.”

“And you, Mary.”

Once the woman was out of the room, Claire looked around. There had to be a way to secret some things that she would need, if she was to make good an escape. She could wear the best, hardiest of the clothing, perhaps wrap some food in a pillowcase. Water would be her biggest issue. And weapons, for when she got out into the wild and might face off against anything from 8-balls to wild animals. A sharpened stick might do the trick against snakes and even rabid coyotes, but it would be a joke against an 8-ball.

In the meantime, Claire needed to buy some good will and trust. If it appeared she had not settled in well, she would be more closely monitored. She needed to ensure that people did not worry so much about her if they let her out of their sight for more than a few minutes at a time. That way she could escape and possibly get out just as night fell, traveling in the cool and under cover of darkness. When they discovered her missing at morning prayer, they would have to first wait for the prayers to be over, then they would have to chase her in the harsh heat of the day.

Whatever their intentions and whatever they might have in mind for Alex, Claire was not about to sit around and let it all happen. She was not a sit-back kind of woman. She was decisive. She could almost hear Gates chuckling in her ear, teasing her and complimenting her in the same breath. She ached with loss over him, even when she was standing right next to that creepy marriage bed. For now, she had to bide her time and formulate her plan.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Noma had found a place where it seemed Lucifer could not read her thoughts or enter them to speak to her. She had confirmed it when he had to send his lackey, the Prophet, to come and get her after she spent most of the day in this secluded area within the underground bunker. From the little remnants that remained, Noma had begun to think it may have been the chapel. What struck her as especially interesting, was that it was encased in something similar to Empyrean steel.

In this little room, she began to plot. Whatever she decided, she could never think about outside of this room, or else it could be discovered by her new master and his minion, the Prophet. Noma chaffed at the very thought of having to bow down to either of them. Somehow, she had to stop Alex from coming. If he got near Lucifer, he was as good as dead, and probably in some terrible fashion as it seemed his death was tied to Lucifer’s return. She could not let that happen. Not just because she loved Alex, but because she could not allow Lucifer to rise. As a higher angel, her sworn duty was to Heaven, Father, and Humanity. Serving Lucifer would be against all of that. Yet, she mostly found she worried for Alex.

“Whatever you do Alex,”, she prayed before a small ceramic image of St.Patrick, “don’t come for me.”

Rising, she steeled her thoughts against thinking of this room, her plans, and her rebellious thoughts against Lucifer and the Prophet. Once she was outside of the room, the only things she could think about were how hard it would be to fight Alex and how much she feared Lucifer. He needed to be overconfident, thinking he had broken her will. That would give her the advantage. Albeit, a very slight advantage against a multitude of advantages that Lucifer would have, not the least of which was his pyrokinetic lackey.

Noma turned and walked out, her mind clear of all thoughts except a fear of Lucifer and a longing for Alex. And it was just as well because she quickly bumped into the Prophet.

“Do you always just lurk around?”

“No. I have come with a mission. Where do you think Michael may have hidden Alex?”

“I don’t know. He never talked about anywhere but Vega.”

“Are you sure?”

She tilted her head, giving him a grouchy look.

“I assure you, Michael didn’t trust me enough to share much more than the little that was required he share when he needed me to do his bidding. I knew all the ins and outs of Vega, all the particulars about plans to get Alex out of the city if it fell. I never needed to know about other places, so Michael never shared the information.”

The Prophet nodded slowly.

“A wise one, the archangel. But we will find Alex soon enough, even with Michael’s subterfuge. Come. Lucifer wishes to speak with you on another important matter.”

“What’s that?”

“Claire Reisen.”

“She’s dead.”

“Not anymore.”

“WHAT?”

The Prophet continued to walk back to Lucifer’s industrial waste hot tub, without so much as a shrug about Claire’s being alive.

“The Master had plans for her, plans that require she and Alex alive for a while, then he will kill Alex and that will make Claire all the more vital to him.”

Noma was not sure what their sick plan was, only that she feared it coming to pass.

“Do not worry, he needs only to borrow Alex’s human body for a while.”

“Borrow?”

“Yes, not unlike Gabriel’s possessing. Though Alex is protected from actual possession in the way Gabriel has possessed 8-Balls, this will be more as Lyrae and his human.”

“Lucifer wants to make a Diad of himself, with Alex?”

“Only for a short time. After that, he will kill Alex.”

“What does he need Alex’s body for?”

The Prophet turned to her with that sick grin.

“He needs a vessel to create his own Chosen One. As an angel, any child he bore to a human woman would be a Nephilim and unstable, chaotic, powerful but bloodthirsty to the point of idiocy. And to create a child with another angel, well such a child might truly rival the Master’s power so if the child grew to prefer himself in power, the Master would have to put him down as he himself was put down.”

Now Noma began to see. A Diad, physically, was still human though with a little something extra. Not unlike the Prophet, in some ways. And if a Diad male and human female were to procreate, the child would inherit this ‘something extra’, yet would be wholly human at the same time. It made Noma’s head spin.

“You want Alex to host Lucifer, then impregnate Claire? Wouldn’t it have just been easier to snatch Alex and threaten him to make him turn over some sperm?”

The Prophet smiled. Noma understood. That was why they wanted her to retrieve Alex for them, when she was given her wings. To make her the leverage to force Alex to do their bidding, no matter how twisted.

“A child, this child the Master wishes to create, will grow to become what might once have been called the Anti-Christ. And his power over man will allow him to usher the Master through the final stage to returning to his former strength, to be both a physical and spiritual being, capable of Creation and of ruling over this domain, as he should have ages ago.”

“This baby is going to be his priest and his sacrifice. _His own child_.”

Now Noma began to realize the full scope of why the first Archangel had been so dangerous, why he had been cast out of Heaven and beaten down by a host of angels and the other Archangels, as well as the Powers. This was why he had been considered such a threat, he had the power to create as Father did, and a lust for power over all that could be subjugated.

The Prophet came closer, his grin still in place as he loomed by Noma. The moment she got a chance, she was going to kill him, and she would start with ripping his jaw off so he could not shoot her that eerie smile.

“Don’t worry, the Master does not expect you to watch. He are bait and you will keep your dear Alex in check. You needn’t worry that you will be included in the plot.”

Noma stepped back, turned, and then ran for all she was worth.


	5. The Wandering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael, Gabriel, & Co. move to their new base of operations, Leonora makes a discovery in the desert, and Noma throws a monkey wrench in Lucifer's plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I had to look up stuff about the desert, so I apologize if I have any inaccuracies. I've never lived in one and mostly know a few things from an old survival guidebook I bought in second grade.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Theological conversations about the creation of souls and the power of a human vs. angel vs. animal soul, head trauma, mentions the torture/possessions Michael and Gabriel went through in S2, describes some of what happens to a person who has been in the desert too long without proper supplies.

Michael and Gabriel flew low, just overhead of the armored truck that held Alex and what remained of the Angel Corps, with Leonora at the helm. At night, they were less likely to be spotted flying just above the height of a truck, and Leonora did not need the headlights to see the way a human would have. They all moved along at a good pace. Gabriel’s recollected military base was only a couple more miles away.

Taking turns, Gabriel and Michael would swoop up for a couple minutes at a time to look for any sign of being followed or trouble ahead. It was slow-going compared to them just flying at top speed for archangels. With Alex injured and the rest of the humans, there was no way they could have traveled in any faster fashion than the old truck.

Finally, they reached the base. Michael knew they would have to sweet it and make sure it was safe. He intended to leave Leonora with Alex, Ethan, and Jamison, and that Michael would take some of the men with him, Gabriel would take the others, and they would clear the base. They had to ensure there was no one there who would be a threat to Alex.

Glancing over, he saw Gabriel’s serious face and eyes scanning the night. They both knew what their odds were. The last thing they needed was for this to turn sour before they even got a chance to face their eldest brother.

In a few short minutes, they had reached the base. Leonora carefully moved through the scattered, forgotten equipment that littered the front lawn area. Old barricades, burned out Humvees, and other debris, along with tumble weeds and a few bleached-bone carcasses of animals. It was what one might expect of any abandoned facility in the desert.

“Leonora?”, Michael called as he touched down.

She put the truck in park and stepped out to join Michael and Gabriel.

“You want me to stay with Alex and a couple of the Angel Corps guys, then you two will take everyone and give it a thorough walk-through?”

“Yes.”

She nodded.

“Alright. I’ll check around this yard a bit, make sure there isn’t anything worrisome or useful.”

Plan set, Michael moved to inform the Angel Corps of the plan. Ethan was sitting with his and Jamison’s jackets still under Alex’s head and shoulders to help prop him comfortably. Michael could tell they felt the chill in the night air and were refusing to complain.

Gabriel and Leonora spoke just out of Michael’s earshot, with Gabriel nodding at whatever Leonora said. Whatever it was, Gabriel did not share any details as he crossed to join Michael and the Corps. Leonora moved about with a small penlight, checking under the ruined cars and around the edges of blocks laid to slow entry into the base. Michael hoped she found nothing except some fun trinkets.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Noma continued to run until the sun was at its zenith. She could feel the effects of the sun and lack of rest, food, and water. Her skin felt too tight and scratchy, her lips were swollen and sore, her thoughts beginning to feel…muddied. Not the worst situation she had ever been in. Not even the worst situation she had been in, this past decade.

Staggering a bit on her feet, Noma moved towards some rocks. They weren’t big enough to hide a car behind but they would offer enough shade for one higher angel. She almost had reached it when she tripped on something in the sand, flying forward, her head knocking against one of the rocks.

Noma groaned, her face down in the sand. Dragging herself, she moved to curl in the shelter offered by the rocky outcropping. Her head pounding, blood running down her temple and cheek. Curling in on herself, she kept repeating her mantra. The one that had sent her out into the desert two days ago. She had to warn Alex.

Noma had no idea how much time had passed when she stirred later. The sun had moved, though she could have slept all night and through the morning or she may have only slept a couple hours. As she rose, the world spun a bit, making her nauseous. She curled back up, turning her back to the rock and seeing something else in the sand.

A body. More specifically, a skeleton with scant remains of clothing to suggest they had been some sort of cowboy. The boots, belt buckle, and hat were mostly intact, the pants and shirt full of holes as if eaten by moths.

“So, you’re the one who tripped me.”, she griped, before forcing herself to sit up, slowly.

To the East, she could see a distant line of rocky hills. She didn’t know this area of the desert well, though she knew enough to know there had been several such places within a couple days walk of Vega. Michael had always said they would be a good place to take Alex and hide if she ever had to sneak Alex away for his safety, in years past.

Nodding, Noma decided that was where she was heading. But first, a little grave robbing. She moved to check the body of the cowboy. She knew that humans sometimes died in the desert with a half-full canteen of water because they had been trying to conserve their supply. He may also have had other useful items like a lighter or a map.

Noma checked his pockets, such as they were. Then his boots, his hat, and his leather vest. She found some coins, dried up gum, and thankfully, a utility knife in his pants pocket and a fixed-blade style knife tucked into his left boot. From the looks of both, they had been well cared for and had been meant for his work out on the range.

She slid his utility multi-tool in the inside pocket of her jacket and slid the knife and slim leather sheath into her boot. At least now she was lightly armed. She also took his hat and his leather vest. The vest could be cut down to strips to give her a little rope and the hat would help keep some of the sun off of her. Even higher angels were not entirely immune to the dangers of the desert.

“I’m coming, Alex. I’m coming.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alex eased down from the armored truck with Ethan and Leonora’s help. Jamison stood off to the edge, ready if they needed him. Alex hated being such a burden. They were in the middle of the desert, in an abandoned military base, and he had to be helped by two people just to stand up.

“Sorry you guys have to babysit me.”, he muttered.

“Alex, even if you weren’t the Chosen One, there’s nowhere else I’d be and nothing else I’d be doing right now. So, knock it off.”

He smiled over at his friend.

“You almost sounded like Nomes.”

Both men smiled, a little watery eyed at the thought of their third. It had always been the three of them, for so long. It seemed wrong for Noma to be anywhere except with them.

“Come on, a little walk will make you feel better.”

“Now you sound like Ethan.”

Leonora waved to Jamison, “Care to switch?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She shook her head as the young soldier came to stand beside Alex, holding the injured man’s arm over his shoulders. With Ethan and Jamison being taller than Alex, both men were trying not to stretch him up as they helped him move. They all followed her. Leonora spotted an overturned picnic table. It appeared sturdy enough, so she flipped it over.

“Here, sit. All three of you.”

No one balked.

“How long have they been gone?”, Alex asked.

“Half an hour, maybe a hair more.”, Ethan answered.

“Don’t worry, Alex.”, Leonora assured, “We’d have heard it if they ran into trouble. There’s probably just a lot of little rooms, nooks, crannies, and cupboards that have to be checked out. And, with humans helping, Gabriel and Michael have to move a bit slower.”

Cringing a little, she looked back down at the three humans sitting in front of her.

“No offense.”

Ethan was the first to smile tiredly, waving her off as he sagged forward at the table.

“I’m used to it.”, Alex tried to tease.

Jamison’s tanned face moved between the two men and the white-haired angel. He had been around Michael a few times, as a member of the Angel Corps, back in Vega. Then he learned Noma had been a higher angel and that some of the venders and other people he would have passed in the streets had also been higher angels who sided with Michael or merely wished to stay neutral in the War. He was still catching up.

“You’re a higher angel, like Noma?”, he asked the white-haired woman in front of them.

She glanced back down at him for a moment, an amused look on her pale face. He swore the moonlight was making her look like a ghost. It was freaky.

“Not exactly, Sargent. Archangels were crème de la crème, top of the pecking order among angels. Then there were the Powers, then the Cherubim, then the Higher Angels, then another layer, and then the souls of those departed who had attained the rank of Angel.”

“Which one are you?”, the soldier asked.

“I’m one of the Powers. There are only seven of us.”

Ethan smiled at his lover, seeing the man looking so confused and a bit flustered. He looked rather adorable.

“Did you guys side with Gabriel? I never heard of you before. ‘Course, my parents were atheists till the War.”

Ethan didn’t imagine the fire in the woman’s eyes at the insinuation they had sided against humanity.

“Our Father called us away, shortly before… and when we returned, Father was gone, Gabriel and his horde were waging war against Father’s favoured creation, the Earth was carved up, and humanity mostly hid behind fortified walls in little pods all over.”

“Where were you?”

“That is enough!”, came Michael’s biting tone.

Ethan watched as the white-haired angel looked up at Michael, offering him a look Ethan couldn’t quite read. Her features softened, however, as she looked back to Jamison.

“Somewhere that will be important, later. What is important now is that we protect Alex. My sisters, in their cities, will be glad to offer shelter if we have need of them and can reach them. Otherwise, you’ve got two Archangels, one Powers, and your comrades to protect the Chosen One until it is time for him to fulfill his destiny.”

Michael stepped forward, looming beside the white-haired Powers. Gabriel chuckled lightly as he moved around the opposite side of the table to stand near the other two angels. Ethan checked over his shoulder, seeing the rest of his men.

“It is safe for your men, and Alex, Sargent Mack. I can take the three of you to a room in the barracks where you will be safe, and can rest for a couple hours.”, offered Gabriel.

Ethan nodded, already moving to help Alex up with Jamison mirroring him at Alex’s left. Michael dismissed the rest of the soldiers to follow along, and to take up rooms in the barracks. Once they were alone again, he moved to apologize.

“I’m sorry for that, Leonora.”

She arched a pale eyebrow at him.

“What have you to apologize for? The young man had natural curiosity and wished to be informed, so he might better protect and serve the Chosen One. Or are you referring to the tone you used to make him come to heel?”

Michael has the sense to be a bit sheepish.

“I suppose, after so long giving the Angel Corp orders that left no room for negotiations or refusals, that it has become habit to expect absolute obedience.”

Leonora nodded, pursing her lips a bit.

“I suppose. I just thought you were always bossy.”, she said, adding a wink as she barely hid a smirk.

Michael arched an eyebrow at her, his head tilting slightly to the side. Leonora reached, patting a flat hand across the center of his black-clad chest.

“Come on. You and Gabriel look beat, we better find some beds for you two.”

“What of you?”

She shrugged as they walked towards the base.

“No one tortured me or unleashed the Amphora on me or tried to turn me into a Dyad, or any of the things you and Gabriel have shared so-far. Excuse me if I’m not quite so tired as the two of you.”

“How long were you traveling to get to Vega, before this?”

He watched as Lenora tilted her head, her left eye squinting a bit as she counted. He had always thought it amusing how animated her face was. She was never so stoic as most of the Archangels had been. Only Gabriel and Lucifer had ever been so lively.

“Two weeks? Maybe a touch longer. I wasn’t focused on keeping track, mostly I was worried I would arrive too late to be of aid.”

“Thank you. For coming, for getting Alex to safety. All of it.”

Leonora stopped, turning to face him.

“I know I’m supposed to say this was my duty, what Adira commanded of me, what Father wanted, what is the duty of a Powers and Angel, but…. Honestly Michael, he’s your Chosen One. I failed to help Gabriel protect David, I couldn’t fail the two of you again.”

Michael’s hands moved, without bidding from his rational mind, to cup her pale cheeks.

“I am the one to blame for David, Leonora. Not you. Not Gabriel. Me. I had seen the King and knew his madness, his ego. I should have predicted he would be so swift and cruel in his reaction to an innocent, little child upstaging him in front of his army.”

Leonora reached, tugging his hands from her face and holding them as she looked up at him with those dark green eyes of hers. Michael had forgotten how she seemed to see in the soul of a person with those eyes.

“Always so willing to take on the burdens that aren’t yours to bear.”, she whispered.

Michael leaned, slowly. Leonora met him, foreheads pressed together, both still for a moment.

“Come on, you need your rest. I’ll take the first watch.”, she whispered.

“Alright.”

Still holding one of her hands in his, Michael lead her down to where the others were settling in for the rest of the night. In the daylight, they could look around, get their bearings, and begin scavenging through the base for anything of use.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leonora was finishing her shift when she heard something. It was not on the base but in the rocky outcropping near them. A human would not have heard it but she could hear it and… sense it. There was a life in the barren rocks that did not belong to a being such as a lizard or snake. It was too vibrant, too old.

She could not abandon her post and moved, reaching to Michael and Gabriel, shaking them both awake. Gabriel growled a little under his breath while Michael sat up, wiping a hand down his face. Both looked less tired and more themselves.

“There is something, or someone, in the rocks. I’m going to go check it out.”

Michael reached, trying to catch her hand to stop her but Gabriel knocked the hand down.

“We’ll stay and watch over Alex. Take the flare gun over there, fire a shot if you need us. If you aren’t back in twenty minutes, I’ll come look for you.”

She gave a quick nod, then was off, running out the door again. She barely heard Michael’s order for everyone to rise and to arm themselves, before she was in the yard of the base, looking around. She saw no sign of vehicles or 8balls. Leonora took off into the air, stretching her dark wings out. It felt good to have them out, even under the circumstances.

It took her five minutes to fly over to the rocks, landing at the highest peak. She turned slowly, searching the rocks and area around them. Nothing. Leonora hopped to another rocky outcropping. Still nothing.

Leonora moved again. She could still sense it. Powers kept order and they could feel shifts in balance. There was a being here who was out of balance.

Leonora was about to give up when she heard it. A groan. From the ground level. The feeling of this being was so old, she had assumed them to be an angel of some sort, or perhaps one of Lucifer’s prophets who had switched sides and lost faith in the fallen son.

There was, however, some truth to the expression ‘old soul’. Father had not created all souls at the same time, plucking them at will to send to Earth for a spin on the mortal plane. Most were created in the moment before they entered this world, however there were a few who waited.

Gliding down, she landed on the solid, cool ground in the shadow of the rocky hills. That was when she finally saw it. A figure. Tattered clothes, sunburned skin, and curled in a small hole in the rocks. The person was still alive, though in terrible shape.

Moving over, Leonora came to crouch behind them, tucking her wings back in to make them invisible. She had no desire to scare the poor creature out of their wits.

“Here, let me help you.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The Prophet crouched, his whole body trembling, feeling as if he were burning alive. There was no flame, no wounds on his skin, yet he burned.

_YOU LET HER ESCAPE!_

“I’m sorry, Master. I followed her until I could nolonger feel the connection!”, he cried as he writhed on the concrete floor.

The pain ceased and the Prophet went slack, then panted for breath. He still ached, his body covered in sweat, muscles twitching. He had never so displeased his master before. Only rarely had he gone beyond where Lucifer’s powers aided and protected him. To face a Higher Angel, even one weakened by the desert, would have been beyond his abilities without Lucifer’s power behind him.

_We will wait. Noma is not his only weakness._

The Prophet nodded at the message his master put into his head.

“Yes. Yes. The other woman, Claire.”

_Yes. Rise, there is work to be done._

The Prophet dragged himself to his feet. He would not displease his master again.


End file.
